The Biggest Little Campaign of 2013

  • Categories:

    Content Marketing, Creative

  • Date:

    January 15, 2014

The Biggest Little Campaign of 2013



Content Marketing Creative

Back when I was a Madison Avenue adbrat, I’d complain about having only $250,000 and 15 seconds to tell a brand story. And, if that wasn't bad enough, there was also the dreaded 10-second spot. Even my then-idol and ad god, Ed McCabe, proclaimed, “All you have time to do in a 10-second spot is say: ‘Hello. F**k you. And, goodbye!’” Ed's a genius and even he thinks trying to tell a brand’s story in 10 seconds is crazy.

Or is it?

Our friends at Lowe's Home Improvement have managed to create a brilliant campaign comprised of six-second Vines (using the Twitter video app). You heard it right. Six seconds!

These Vines are part of an effort called "Lowe's Fix in Six" in which each Vine offers consumers a simple and (in my opinion) useful home improvement tip.

Why do I love this campaign?

First, the idea of offering quick and useful tips jives perfectly with the company’s “Never Stop Improving” campaign. With the Vines, Lowe's reminds consumers that they have the resources to help them tackle any home improvement job, large or small. Lowe’s arms consumers with what they need. And if what you need is to keep pesky squirrels from nibbling on your flowers, then Lowe's will help you with that, too. The solution? Sprinkle a little cayenne pepper on the flower and the varmints will leave those flowers alone.

The choice of medium is equally as brilliant. If you have a quick and simple tip, why not employ a quick and simple medium–mobile devices? It’s refreshing to see a brand's message and its chosen medium align so perfectly.

For many brands, capturing their customers’ attention and getting them to remember a message is often considered a success. This campaign doesn't stop there. It captures the customers’ attention, offers relevant, useful news, reinforces the brand promise and is easily shareable.

In the home category, customers are constantly searching for new and better ways to enhance their environments. This campaign teaches us the importance of a rich conversation with our audience and how critical it is to NEVER STOP the dialogue.

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